1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stitching pattern that enables fabrics or clothing to be tear-resistant, and also relates to a method for manufacturing fabric or an article of clothing that has tear-resistant seams.
2. The Prior Art
Certain people have a mental problem or disorder causing them to tear their clothing. Thus, there is a tremendous need in this special population for tear-resistant clothing.
It would be desirable to find durable tear-resistant clothing for persons who exhibit abnormal behaviors such as ripping of clothing and destruction of property. Finding such clothing would enable these people to live a more normalized and dignified life while having their destructive behaviors addressed in a formal program.
Attempts have been made in the past to solve these problems, and prior art proposals are as follows.
The Tranberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,908 discloses a method of manufacturing sleeve shaped body protectors by modifying the seaming of a sleeve-like article of clothing. The sleeve is created by bringing the two ends of the material together, at which point a strip of fabric is placed over the joint of the two ends. Then the two ends and strip of fabric are sewn together to create the seam. The sewing machine used has at least two needles for each side of the joint to be sewn. The object of this sewing machine design is for criss-crossing the threads from the needles to opposite sides of the joint, and across the joint at the face of the cloth remote from the fabric strip (i.e., on the underside of the seam).
The Eguchi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,370 discloses a method for forming hemstitches using a zigzag stitch process. The process consists of two zigzag stitches that act in conjunction with a series of straight stitches made parallel to and spaced inside the edge of the fabric. The first of the zigzag stitches is of a predetermined width such that the stitches extend between the edge of the fabrics and the straight stitches. The second zigzag stitching extends between the first zigzag stitches and the straight stitching such that the second zigzag stitch has a plurality of seams connected to the first zigzag stitch and the straight stitch.
The Wolkowitz U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,588 discloses a curtain having adjacent panel edges concealed by ornamental stitching. Two adjacent panels (i.e., pieces of fabric or other material used for curtains) are sewn together by a stitching method whereby the seam created by the two panels is not noticeable. In one embodiment, there is one plurality of longitudinally extending zigzag stitching that would connect the two adjacent panels to one another. A first plurality of longitudinally extending straight stitching would then be applied over the first zigzag stitching on both sides of the seam created to secure the zigzag stitching in place. A second plurality of longitudinally extending zigzag stitching is then applied to each adjacent panel space vertically from the first plurality of zigzag stitching. A second plurality of longitudinally extending straight stitching is then applied over the second zigzag stitching, thereby securing the second zigzag stitch in place.
The Nishimaki U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,932 discloses a multiple needle pattern stitching sewing machine capable of making stitch tracings in zigzag or other similar design on a cloth by moving a plurality of needles up and down and moving the cloth being sewn right and left at the corresponding time with the motion of the needles.
The Tweedie U.S. Pat. No. 2,330,459 discloses a shoe with a reinforced stitching which consists of a lock stitch type which comprises three rows of zigzag stitches staggered with relation to the stitches in the adjacent row. The application of this stitching design deals with uniting an elastic webbing tape to a shoe upper member in an edgewise abutting relation, especially where such upper member is made of stretchable leather or elasticized material.
The Meier U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,369 discloses a sewn pattern arrangement to be produced by a zigzag sewing machine, and consists of a method whereby ornamental patterns adjacent to one another are sewn into the fabric (i.e., clothing) through the use of a zigzag sewing machine.
The Nufer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,758 discloses a method for making groups of sewn patterns with zigzag sewing machines.
All of these prior art references fail to recognize the problem of providing fabrics or articles of clothing with tear-resistant seams.